4 Easy Ways to Make Cannabis Tincture

4 Easy Ways to Make Cannabis Tincture

If you’ve never used a cannabis tincture, then it’s time to give it a shot. They are easy to use, easy to dose, they mix well with pretty much everything, and they can give you all the effects of cannabis without having to smoke or vape. To top it all off, cannabis tincture is easy to make. Here are four simple ways to make your own.

Cannabis Tincture Method 1: Green Dragon

Green Dragon is the most well-known cannabis tincture. People have been making and using it for years. This method uses very high-proof grain alcohol. Everclear is the best, and technically speaking, is the only proper way to make true-blue Green Dragon. Here’s what you need:

Note: You can also use trim to make cannabis tincture. But to be sure your cannabis tincture is as potent as you want it to be, use a little bit more than 1/8 ounce if you’re using only trim.

2 ounces Everclear

A mason jar

Cheesecloth

Medicine dropper

Start off by decarboxylating your weed. Grind it up, spread it out on a cookie sheet, and bake at 230 degrees Fahrenheit for 110 minutes. When it’s done, remove it from the oven, and let it cool back down to room temperature. The heat activates the THC so that your cannabis tincture will be potent and effective.

Next, place your decarboxylated weed in the mason jar. Add the Everclear and screw on the lid. Give the mixture a good shake and place the jar in a cool, dark place.

Shake the jar two to three times a day for three weeks. Finally, use cheesecloth to strain out all the plant matter. By this time, the alcohol has pulled out all the THC and the remaining liquid is your cannabis tincture. Put it in a medicine dropper and store in a cool place away from light.

Cannabis Tincture Method 2: Soak In High-Proof Liquor

This next method is very similar to making Green Dragon. But instead of using Everclear, you are going to use high-proof vodka or rum. Be sure it’s at least 50 proof, but the higher the better.

Put cannabis tincture in medicine dropper and store in a cool, dark place.

Cannabis Tincture Method 3: Water Bath

For our third method, you will need 151 proof Bacardi rum and an eighth of weed. Start off by grinding and decarboxylating the weed. As always, if you are using trim instead of pure flower, use a bit more than an eighth.

Once the weed has cooled, dump it into a mason jar. Pour enough rum into the container to completely submerge the herb. Screw on the lid and give it a good shake to be sure the plant matter is thoroughly mixed into the liquid.

Next, remove the lid and place the jar into a pot of gently boiling water. Let it simmer for 20 minutes. During this time, be sure the rum-cannabis mixture stays at a constant temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

After 20 minutes, remove the jar from the water bath and let it cool. Use cheesecloth to strain out all the plant matter. Pour the liquid into a medicine dropper and store away from direct light.

Cannabis Tincture Method 4: Vegetable Glycerin

A cannabis tincture that uses vegetable glycerin instead of high-proof liquor can be more gentle and easier to use. But it also tends to be slightly less potent. Here’s what you will need to make it:

Food-grade vegetable glycerin—we suggest using organic glycerin if you can find it.

At least 1/8 ounce of cannabis flower or trim

A mason jar

Cheesecloth

Medicine dropper

For this version, do not start by decarboxylating the herb. Instead, just grind it up and dump it into the mason jar. Now fill it with enough glycerin to completely submerge the plant matter. Screw on the lid, shake the mixture, and put it in a cool, dark spot.

Shake the jar once a day for 60 days. Once you’ve hit the 60-day mark, give the mixture one more good shake and remove the lid. Preheat your oven to the lowest temperature possible—do not go higher than 170 degrees Fahrenheit.

Place the open jar on a cookie sheet and put it into an oven. Bake for 30-45 minutes. This will decarboxylate the entire mixture. When it’s finished baking, take out the cookie sheet and let the jar cool to room temperature. Strain out the plant matter using a cheesecloth. Pour the cannabis tincture into a medicine dropper and store in a cool location away from direct light.

How To Use Your Cannabis Tincture

Now that you’ve got your finished cannabis tincture, it should maintain its freshness and potency for quite a while, as long as you keep it away from direct light and in a relatively cool location.

One of the easiest ways to use cannabis tincture is to drop it beneath your tongue. This lets it soak into your bloodstream quickly. It is also a quick and discreet way to medicate.

You can also use your cannabis tincture to transform pretty much any food or drink into a powerful edible. Tinctures are especially good for spiking your favorite beverage. If you like to wake and bake, add a drop or two to your tea or coffee. Or at the end of the day, spike your favorite drink with a little cannabis tincture for a THC-laced cocktail.

After consuming the tincture, expect to feel it in 30-60 minutes. The effects of cannabis tincture usually last longer than smoking or vaping, but not nearly as long as a regular edible.

Nick is a Green Rush Daily staff writer from Fort Collins, Colorado. He has been at the epicenter of the cannabis boom from the beginning. He holds a Masters in English Literature and a Ph.D. in cannabis (figuratively of course).